2024 in Stories of Hardships and Resilience of People Affected by the War in Ukraine

The moment you feel needed again changes everything

Ukrainian veterans returning to civilian life are finding renewed purpose through the course of mechanized and innovative demining for veterans with disabilities. The two-and-a-half-week course equipped participants with skills ranging from operating mechanical demining machines to understanding national mine action standards and principles. But most importantly, it allowed them to apply their skills and experiences to contribute positively to society, prepared to clean lands of mines and explosives.

“For veterans, especially after an injury, it’s crucial to feel needed again – by your loved ones, your country, and, most importantly, yourself. That feeling is irreplaceable. To know you’re not forgotten. To know you’re needed. To know you matter,” – explains Mykola, who finished the course and now is ready to use the knowledge and skills to restore safety and hope to thousands of people.

A new life for the community

The Ivankiv community in Ukraine suffered severe destruction in 2022. Thousands of homes and public buildings were damaged or destroyed. In 2023, the community became a pilot site for the UN-led recovery initiative. Key activities included repairing the local lyceum and cultural center, establishing a sports complex, restoring over 250 private homes, and installing 18 prefabricated houses for families whose homes were beyond repair.

The head of the Ivankiv Village Council, Tetiana Svyrydenko, emphasized the significance of these efforts, stating, "The reconstruction process is an important signal for the local population that Ivankiv community is returning to normal life." Similar community initiatives are being coordinated by various UN agencies in other cities and regions of Ukraine like Markariv, Drohobych, Mykolaiv and others. 

Green energy supports a mountain farm

"I never thought we could be so dependent on electricity. During power outages, or when power lines are damaged – often in the mountains – the solar panels and generator have been a huge help," – says Oksana, who lives in Ivano-Frankivska oblast and, together with her husband, runs a mountain farm. 

The farm keeps 156 sheep and produces 11 types of cheese, including vurda and bryndzia – traditional Carpathian varieties with unique flavours and protected geographical origin status. These are not just cheeses, they are part of the cultural identity of the region. 

But the war changed everything. Visitor numbers dropped dramatically, and the already fragile infrastructure in the mountains struggled to keep up. Long and unpredictable power outages disrupted the farm’s daily operations.

With support from FAO and the European Union, the family purchased needed equipment and installed solar panels. These green technologies not only improve day-to-day operations but also bring environmentally responsible practices into the heart of traditional mountain farming.

Starting everything from scratch, but at home

Vira and her husband had nearly completed the renovation of their home in Borodianka, a town near Kyiv, when the full-scale invasion of Ukraine changed everything. A shell struck their property, leaving their house beyond repair and forcing them to flee and leave behind the life they had worked so hard to build.

In the aftermath, the UN stepped in to clear the site of debris and explosives, ensuring it was safe, and provided the couple with a prefabricated house. This assistance allowed them to return to their community rather than face prolonged displacement.

Now, back in Borodianka, Vira and her husband are slowly rebuilding their lives. Their garden, once a source of pride, has become a symbol of resilience and renewal. While the scars of war remain, their determination to restore what was lost is a testament to the strength of Ukraine’s people.

Helping families to go through hardships

Alyona, a mother of three daughters, struggled with financial situation and finding a stable job while the children were in the boarding school in central Ukraine. In 2022, when the full-scale war started in Ukraine, Diana and her sisters returned home. However, the family's financial situation has been extremely difficult.

With the UN's assistance, Alyona secured stable employment and enhanced her parenting skills, leading to improved family dynamics. 

Her daughter Diana reflects, "In my free time, my mom, sisters, and I go for walks or draw together. When my mom is at work, we spend time with my grandfather. He makes us more disciplined and helps us with our studies.” 

UNICEF’s ’Better Care for Every Child' program collaborates with social services to support families facing hardships, especially amid the ongoing war. By strengthening family support systems, the program creates a safer and more nurturing environment for children, ensuring their emotional, psychological, and physical needs are met.

After years of upheaval, Ukrainian children catch up with classes

Amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, children like eight-year-old Alyona from the Zaporizhzhia region have faced significant disruptions to their education. After spending her entire first grade and part of the second studying online due to the war, Alyona finally met many of her 11 classmates in person when her lyceum transitioned to a mixed learning format.

"When I was in kindergarten, the coronavirus started. And when I was in first grade, the war broke out," she recalls. 

To address these challenges, UNICEF has been instrumental in supporting educational initiatives, for example catch-up lessons, allowing children from third to tenth grade to attend mathematics and Ukrainian language classes twice a week to recover lost learning. In addition to academic support, efforts are underway to ensure safe learning environments. These initiatives reflect a strategic commitment to safeguarding education amid adversity, offering Ukrainian children not only knowledge but also a semblance of normalcy and hope for the future.

Healthcare solutions for war-affected communities

In the village of Tsyrkuny, Kharkiv region, the local healthcare facility was destroyed, leaving residents without essential medical services. Recognizing the urgent need, the World Health Organization (WHO) in partnership with the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, installed a modular primary healthcare clinic in September 2024. This new facility, staffed by five dedicated healthcare workers, now serves approximately 12,000 patients annually, providing a lifeline to the community. 

Similar modular units were installed in other regions' clinics, benefiting over 50,000 Ukrainians affected by the war. Each clinic can be set up in 10 to 14 days and is designed to be a long-term solution with a lifespan exceeding 10 years. Designed to operate during emergency power outages, each clinic is equipped with a generator to ensure an uninterrupted power supply.

Supporting resilience of the eco-industrial parks in Ukraine

The Global Eco-Industrial Parks Programme (GEIPP) in Ukraine, launched by UNIDO in 2020 and supported by the Swiss Government, helps local communities by making industrial parks cleaner and more efficient.

These eco-industrial parks create safer jobs, healthier environments, and better economic chances for people. The programme works with parks like BVAK in Bila Tserkva, AgroMash in Zaporizhzhia, and Patriot in Sumy to use energy and resources more wisely. One example is Trivium Packaging in Bila Tserkva, which utilizes waste heat recovery to reduce energy bills and enhance working conditions. 

Following the audit conducted by UNIDO, Trivium Packaging introduced several waste heat recovery solutions. “Since 2020, we have been actively cooperating with UNIDO on energy-saving projects. Sustainable development is one of the company's core values,” says Ludmila Tereschenko, Deputy Director at Trivium Packaging in Bila Tserkva. 

Ukrainian women in a frontline town are taking over as tractor drivers

With a population of around 10,000, the town of Snihurivka was known as an agricultural area by its expansive fields, favourable climate for growing vegetables and most of the town people working in agriculture. 

Bringing a gap of the shortage of skilled personnel in the agricultural sector, especially in war-affected areas like Mykolaiv Oblast, and ensuring a gender-responsive local recovery, UNDP’s tractor driving training programme brought together women with diverse background from an 18-year-old student to a 47-year-old minibus driver and mother of three.

“I’ve been working in the fields since I was a baby. My brother was a tractor driver, so it runs in the family. Did I ever imagine myself in the driver's seat of this giant before? No. Can I see myself there in the future? Absolutely!”- says Nadia, one of the students of driving course.

As these women prepare to take the reins of their community’s agricultural future, they are not just learning to drive tractors, they are becoming the backbone of economic recovery.

Twice displaced, but refusing to give up

Over the past decade, the war in Ukraine has displaced millions, including 41-year-old Yana Liubymova. Uprooted twice—from Kadiivka in 2014 and Starobilsk in 2022—Yana transformed personal adversity into advocacy. 

She co-founded "The Effective Community" to aid displaced individuals and, in 2020, became head of the Luhansk region's Council for Internally Displaced People (IDP Council), bridging the gap between the displaced and authorities. 

Reflecting on her journey, Yana shared, “Would I do anything differently, if I knew that in 10 years, I will lose my home twice? No, I would try to help even more. In those moments when it feels as if I cannot do it anymore, I think of people who are not able to help themselves. I choose to be responsible for them. And I cannot afford to stop.” 

Together with partners, UNHCR continues to support over 100 IDP councils.

Supporting justice and accountability in Ukraine

Lina who fled the city of Enerhodar, in southeastern Ukraine, after it was occupied by Russian armed forces, described how residents there were under increasing pressure to obtain Russian passports to facilitate daily life. 

“Health services are not being provided for people with Ukrainian passports, so people are being forced to obtain Russian passports,” she said, adding that older persons and people with disabilities are the most affected. 

Through its diligent work of documenting and producing evidence-based reports on the human rights situation, UN Human Rights Mission in Ukraine supports accountability mechanisms and facilitates victims' and survivors’ access to justice. 

A story of survival, leadership and support for Ukraine’s women

Ludmyla Huseynova, an activist from Novoazovsk - a city that has been under Russia’s occupation since 2014 - has dedicated herself to supporting orphaned children and advocating for women's rights. Her refusal to accept Russian control led to her arrest, followed by more than three years of detention, sexual violance and torture. 

Liudmyla attended a training of trainers for women paralegals working with survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, organized by UN Women and its partner, Association of Ukrainian Women Lawyers “JurFem”. She found the training invaluable for helping others with legal referrals, document recovery, and directing survivors through the judicial process.

“I’m doing everything I can to help these women because I remember their tears, the eyes I looked into. We will use every means to make their pain visible and make sure that everyone knows about them,” – explains Liudmila.